Railway-switch.



PATENTED SEPT. 19, 1905.

J. B. NITKEY. RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED APB. 6.1905.

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WITNESSES.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

JOHN E. NITKEY, or NEW LONDON, Wisconsin.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 19, 1905.

Application filed April 6, 1905. $eria1 No. 254,078.

' as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the. same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to railway-switches; and the main object of the invention is to provide means whereby any train approaching a switch will automatically throw the switch into a safe and'proper position for that train, so that it becomes impossible for any train to get wrecked by running into the switch while it is open. This object I attain by the novel construction and combination of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top or plan view of a piece of railroad having a switch embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged top view of the pulley 13 in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is a modification of the parts 35 36 in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings by referencenumerals, l designates the ties, and 2 the rails, forming the main track or road, while 3 designates the rails of a branch line or side track.

4 designates the usual switch-tongues or ends of the rails, which are moved horizontally in throwing the switch. These tongues may be tapering, as shown, or may be of the common kind running the regular size and form of the rail to its very end and made movable into line with similar ends of the main track and with the side track, as may be required. In either case the moving rails or tongues are braced together by one or more braces 5 and operated by aswitch-bar,'which by a pitman or link 7 is connected with the crank 8, provided at the lower end of the usual upright 9, oscillating in the stand 10, secured upon the ends of the ties, or maybe secured to the ground in any suitable manner.

11 is the usual crank for switching by hand, and 12 is the well-known signal-plate.

Projecting from the foot-piece of the stand 10 are stops 10, which stop the motion of the crank 8 when it is slightly over its .dead-center or linear position with the 9 link 7, thus locking the switch against accidental motion from side pressure by the carwheels when the switch may be on a curve of the road and preventing the crank from turning too far in either direction.

Upon a suitable point of the standard 9 is fixed a pulley 13, to which is fixed one end of each of the three chains or cables 14, 15, and 16, which are operated by the means I will now describe.

A suitable distance-say a thousand feetfrom the switch the main track is provided with a transverse rock-shaft 17, having at one end a rocker-arm 18,0perated by a chain,cable, or rod 19 and a rocker-arm 20 of a rock-shaft 21, journaled at 22, and having another rocker arm or crank 23, operated by a downwardly pressing lever 24, pivoted at and arched upward between its ends, as shown in dotted lines 24 in Fig. 2. A similar rock-shaft 21 and lever 24 are provided at the side of the side track 2 and secured by its arm 20 to the chain 16. The shaft 17 is at its opposite end provided with two opposite rocker-arms 26 27; connected, respectively, with the chains or cables Hand 15. The shaft 17 is also provided with two oppositely-placed cranks 28 and 29, upon which rest, respectively, the arched levers 30 31, which are pivoted with one end, as at 32, to the rails or any other stationary object.

In Fig. 2, 33 represents a portion of either a locomotive or car of the train, of which 34 is one of the regular carrying-wheels, while 35 is a special small wheel carried by a bracket 36, afiixed to the car or locomotive. The wheel 35 on the train running on the main line 2 is placed to run over and depress either the lever 31 or the lever 24, according to the direction from which the train is coming. The result of the depression of either of said levers will be to throw the switch so that the main track is clear for said train to pass the switch; but if a train belonging to the side track 3 comes along its wheel 35, being arranged farther out to the side, will depress either the lever 24? or the lever 30, and there by turn the standard 9 so as to throw the switch into proper position to connect the side track 3 with the main track.

Any person skilled in the art to which this lIO operates and the functions of the chains, cal bles, or rods 14, 15, and 16. Only this may be added, that 37 designates posts with sheaves 38 for the support of said chains or rods and that the chains are secured with their ends to the pulley 13 at such points that they never unwind fully from the pulley, but will always extend in a tangent position to either the outer side of the pulley or its inner side nearest the track. This keeps the chains always taut and enables the pulley to oscillate about half a turn, while the cranks 23, 28, and 29 need to be turned only a few degrees by the levers resting on them.

It is evident that a pulley may easily be substituted for the radial arms 26 27, if so desired.

In Fig. 4 is shown how, instead of the single wheel 35 in Fig. 2, two wheels 35" and 35 may be mounted on studs, one at the inner' and the other at the outer side of the horizontal arms 39 of a hand-lever 40, pivoted at 41 to the bracket 36, so that when its upper end is sprung into the notch 42 of the segment43, fixed on the car or locomotive, the wheel 35 is held down, so as to operate the lever 31 of the switching mechanism, and if the lever 40 be interlocked in the notch 42 the wheel 35 will ascend and the wheel 35 will descend and be ready to depress the lever 30. This arrangement enables the train while in full motion to decide on which track to switch in upon and to throw the switch accordingly before coming to it by simply setting the lever 40 in the right position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is i 1. In a railwayswitch, the combination with the moving ends of the rails and the switch-bar 6, pitman or link 7, crank 8 and oscillating crank-shaft 9 extending therefrom, of a pulley secured on said shaft and cables or chains 14 and 15 secured each with one end to the face of the pulley and always extending in a tangent position from opposite sides of the pulley; the rock-shaft 17 journaled transversely below the top of the main rails and having the cranks 28 29, the arched levers 3O 31 pivoted each at one end to a fixed point and resting upon the'cranks, the rockerarms 26, 27 at the end of said shaft and connected with the chains or cables 14 15, and wheels carried by the trains in positions to press down either the lever 30 or 31, and means for stopping the crank 8 when turned into either of the two desired positions.

2. In a railway switch, the combination with the moving ends of the rails and the switch-bar 6, pitman or link 7, crank 8 and oscillating crank-shaft 9 extending therefrom, of a pulley secured on said shaft and cables or chains 14 and 15 secured each with one end to the face of the pulley and always extending in a tangent position from opposite sides of the pulley; the rock-shaft 17 journaled transversely below the top of the main rails and having the cranks 28 29, the arched levers 3O 31 pivoted each at one end to a fixed point and resting upon the cranks, the rocker-arms 26, 27 at the end of said shaft and connected with the chains or cables 14 15, and wheels carried by the trains in positions to press down either the lever 30 or 31, and means for stopping the crank 8 when turned into either of the two desired positions, and the rockerarm 18 at the other end of the shaft 17, the rock-shaft 21 with arms and 23, the lever 24 arranged near the main rails and resting on said crank or arm 23, and a cable, chain or rod connecting the arms 18 and 20.

3. In a railway -switch the combination with the moving ends of the rails and the switch-bar 6, pitman or link 7, crank 8 and oscillating crank-shaft 9 extending therefrom, of a pulley secured on said shaft and cables or chains 14 and 15 secured each with one end to the face of the pulley and always extending in a tangent position from the opposite sides of the pulley; the rock-shaft 17 journaled transversely below the top of the main rails and having the cranks 28 29, the arched levers 30 31 pivoted each at one end to a fixed point and resting upon the cranks, the rockerarms 26, 27 at the end of said shaft and connected with the chains or cables 14 15, and wheels carried by the trains in positions to press down either the lever 30 or 31, and means for stopping the crank 8 when turned into either of the two desired positions, and the rocker-arm 18 at the other end of the shaft 17, the rock-shaft 21 with arms 20 and 23, the lever 24 arranged near the main rails, and resting on'said crank or arm 23, and a cable, chain or rod connecting the arms 18 and 20, and the lever 24 pivoted adjacent to the side track or branch road, the rock-shaft 21 having one rocker-arm operated by said. lever and a second rocker-arm 20, and the chain or other connecting line between the latter arm and the pulley 13, so as to operate the same, substantially as set forth.

4. In a railway-switch the combination with the moving ends of the rails and the switch-bar 6. pitman or link 7, crank 8 and oscillating crank-shaft 9 extending therefrom, of a pulley secured on said shaft and cables or chains '14 and 15 secured each with one end to the face of the pulley and always extending in a tangent position from opposite sides of the pulley; the rock-shaft l7 journaled transversely below the top of the main rails and having the cranks 28 29, the arched levers 3O 31 pivoted each at one end to a fixed point and resting upon the cranks; the rocker-arms 26, 27 at the end of said shaft and connected with the chains or cables 14 15, and wheels carried by the trains in positions to press down either the lever 30 or 31, and means for Stopping the crank 8 when'turned into either In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

J OHlfT E. NITKEY.

Witnesses:

A. M. CARLsEN, D. E. CARLSEN. 

